[February 22, 2013]This week the
Lincoln City Council met for their voting session on Tuesday evening
due to the Monday holiday. Eight aldermen were present for the
meeting, with Stacy Bacon and Bruce Carmitchel being absent for the
evening.

As the meeting opened, Mayor Keith Snyder
asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of Tom Maurer, who died
on Sunday. Maurer was a retired city police officer and former
assistant chief of police. Maurer served the Lincoln Police
Department from May 15, 1966, to May 31, 1995. (Obituary)

City will work with development partnership on revolving loan
program

At last week's meeting Snyder told the council he has had
discussions with Brian Bergen of the Lincoln & Logan County
Development Partnership about the city's revolving loan program. He
said that Bergen and the development partnership would like to
establish a committee to oversee and administrate the loan program.

The revolving loan program is an old program that was initiated
by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
several years ago. For the past several years it has been a stagnant
account, with money in it going unused.

The program was designed by DCEO in order to offer businesses
low-interest loans for development. The money was given to the city
through a DCEO grant. The city

's job was
to lend it out according to certain guidelines established by DCEO.
When the payments came back to the city, the money loaned went back
to the program, and interest earned could be reinvested in new loans
or used as cash for the city.

At last year's budget meetings, the loan program was brought up
by Chuck Conzo, city treasurer, who wondered if the city should
investigate whether DCEO would allow them to take the remaining
funds and roll them into the city's unrestricted cash. Since then
very little has been mentioned about the loan program.

Last week Snyder said the development partnership wanted to set
up a committee to administer the funds and that Bergen had said he
might already have someone interested in borrowing from them.

This week Snyder told the council that the committee to be
established will include himself and the new city administrator, Sue
McLaughlin.

When the item came to a vote, seven aldermen approved the motion,
with Tom O'Donohue voting against it.

City approves racing schedule

On the agenda for the evening was a vote to approve the 2013
racing schedule for Lincoln Speedway. Norm and Yvonne Horn of the
speedway were on hand for the vote. After the motion was made, Horn
stepped up to the podium to field any questions that might occur
during discussion.

This year Horn has asked for a schedule that begins the latter
part of March with race practice days and concludes at the end of
October. The schedule is approximately a month longer than it has
been in past years. He has also asked that instead of being given
three 30-minute extensions for the season, that he be given a total
of 90 minutes to be used at his discretion, but with no single
extension to last longer than 30 minutes.

During discussion, David Wilmert told Horn that while in the past
he has always voted in favor of the track, this year he would not.
He said his reason was that the season had gotten too long. He said
the season running from March through October only gave those who
don't like the noise a few months of reprieve, and he didn't think
that was right.

He said that if Horn changes his schedule next year, he might go
back to supporting the track.

Horn did tell Wilmert that at this point, he didn't really know
for sure that the October races would take place. He said he had put
them on the schedule, hoping to be able to have them, and knowing
that if he didn't put them on now, he would definitely not be able
to have them.

Melody Anderson also pointed out that in the reports Horn had
provided to the council last week, the report from last year did not
include the practices in April, even though they did take place.
Therefore the only time actually being added to the schedule was the
October dates.

Mayor Keith Snyder reminded Horn and the council that with the
change in the way the curfew extensions will be maintained, Horn
will notify him each time one is used. Horn is to email Snyder when
he uses a curfew extension, telling him how much time he used, so
the city can also keep track of the 90 minutes available.

Before the item went to a vote, Marty Neitzel did speak up,
saying she was not particularly a fan of racing, but she was pleased
with anything that brings people into Lincoln, and the track does
just that.

When the item came to a vote, Wilmert voted against it with
everyone else voting in favor; thus, the motion passed 7-1.

City approves new farm lease

The city of Lincoln owns 40 acres of farm ground that is
basically landlocked with no public road to it. The ground around
the city farm is farmed by Kent Cross. For the last few years Cross
has leased the ground from the city.

The leasing method the city and Cross use includes a base
cash-rent amount, plus a share of the crop beyond a certain yield
point. For the last few years Cross has raised corn on the 40 acres
and paid $250 per acre for the base, plus whatever the yield share
came to. The rate and yield share are based on a commonly used
formula, set according to the crop being raised and the average of
12 months of commodity prices.

At last week's committee of the whole, building and grounds chair
Jonie Tibbs said it was time to renew the lease. This year Cross
wants to raise soybeans on the ground instead of corn. The base rent
per acre would increase to $350 per acre as a result of the change
of crop.

At the meeting last week, Tibbs said that Cross has been very
good to work with, and she wanted to continue leasing the ground to
him. Neitzel also noted that the year before last, the city had seen
a nice return on the lease. Last year they did not, due to the
drought and its effect on the yields.

When the item came to a vote this week, all eight aldermen voted
in favor of continuing the lease with Cross.

Next week the workshop meeting of the committee of the whole will
be on primary election day. For this reason the council will meet
one hour earlier, at 6 p.m.